Radio Round the World

Radio Record, Volume II, Issue 13, 23 November 1928, Page 5

Radio Round the World

-_- i aes | ‘A WRITER to "Wireless Weekly" 4% (N.S.W.) says: "The broadcasting +? race results and talks by Mr. Ferry has become one of the most important features in the programmes of the New South Wales Broadcasting Co. Ltd. Mr. Ferry is one of the best known sporting jourpalists in the State and devotes his time exclusively to the collection of information for 2FC. His handling of the recent carnival brought forth hundreds of congratulatory letters from listeners-in all over the States and New Zealand. The technical work behind the racecourse broadcasts also requires a great deal of attention and forethought." No wonder letters come from New Zealand! PuE number of stations deleted from the lists of broadcasters as a direct resuit of the notification to close down served on 164 American stations amounted to 36. All but 57 of the cited stations eppeared at the hearings with witnesses and affidavits, and 21 station filed affidavits by mail. ONTRIBUTIONS ranging from fifty cents (2s. 1d.) to two dollars (8s. 4d.) were received by Tex Rickard as expressed thanks from members of the radio audience for making possible the broadcasting of the Heeney-Tunney fight. Rickard, upon receipt of these’ donations, expressed the opinion that they were evidence that the broadcasting companies have been ‘receiving something good for practically nothing for a long time. HE German Navy has fitted up an old cruiser as a sort of wireless hare. It has no crew, but is controlled by wireless. The engines are fed with oil fuel automatically. The idea is that wthis vessel shall venture forth and be at by the fleet, while another ship, which controls her movements by radio, tries to keep her dodging the shells.

ICENSED broadeast listeners in Germany ou April 1, 1928, totalled 2,234,732, as compared with but 2000 on January 1, 1924. The license fee paid by these numerous listeners amounts to 2s. a month each, and the Government budget for the support of the nine broadeasting stations maintained in that country amounts to £2,500,000. TATION 2BL, Sydney, arranges for advertising during the news service, but this is unpopular, as the following extract from a correspondent indicates : "If the management of 2BL or the people for whom they advertise heard some of the things that are said about them by many country districts they would shrivel up like our present drought-stricken pastures." PRACTICALLY every school in Pittsburg (U.S.A.) has been equipped with a receiving’ set, and at specified times lessons on a particular subject will be broadcast to all pupils of all schools of a certain grade. Educational work of this nature has been carried on in Nngland for several years.. More b \ 2000 schools in London and Daventry"g ve equipped to receive programmes radiated through the British Broadcasting network. | "A NEW short-wave station has come \: on to the air; this time it is from a country not before heard on the short waves-Copenhagen, Denmark. It _ belongs to one of the leading wireless papers in that city, and is operated solely by the technical staff of this

periodical. The station is on the air on Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays, between 10.80 am. and 12.30 pm. New Zealand time. The wave length is 78.5 metres, Dstt Commander Byrd establishes ‘his base in the far south, the station at Prince Olaf harbour, South Georgia, has the honour of being the most southerly of radio-telegraph stations. It employs a 500-watt Marconi telephone telegraph transmitter, and is used to control the movements of whalers in Antarctic waters. Only during the summer is this distant station not covered with ice and snow. MONG programme innovations of the Toronto stations was a recent broadcast by CKCL of a lark which did its best to .compete with the B.B.C.’s nightingale; another, is the institution of one-act plays by CKGW. "The Mayor and the Manicure," by George Ade, one of the first of such performances, proved so successful that a few days later it was repeated by the Canadian National Railways’ net work. HOWING at a Sydney theatre at present is an excellent film, depicting the exploits of the German raider Emden, in the early stages ef the war, until her ‘final encounter off, Cocos Island. The story is realistic- ally portrayed, and truly shows the chivalrous side of that terrible struggle. In one part of the production, the wireless operator is shown, in the wireless room of H.M.A.S. Sydney, taking the information from Melbourne regarding the presence of the Emdem at Cocos.

GOME idea of the tremendous cost of special "stunt" advertising programmes in the United States of America may be gained from the fact that a prominent motor firm insured their radio programmes against interruption of Morse signals at a premium of £600. The programme cost £200 per minute, lasted one hour (£12,000), was available to 30,000,000 listeners, and was served up by means of chain broadcasting in places as far apart as New York’ and Hollywood. ANNOUNCING is evidently not the most pleasant occupation. The slightest slip of the tongue brings down the wrath of a people who realise the importance of the announcements. New Zealanders are already aware cf this, but evidently our announcers are not unique in causing offence to listeners. A correspondent of an Australian paper writes strongly about the pronounciation of the announcers. "His daughter had tome home from school very puzzled to know the proper way to pronounce ‘‘Australia." What she had been taught at school did not correspond with what she heard over the air. The writer, a teacher’ of elocution, enters upon a discussion on pronunciation, and ends: "In my capacity as a professional, I find that few Australians can speak correctly-say what you will." GRATEFUL listener to "Radio Times," writes: We live in the country with no neighbours, and Sundays are awfully dull. The wireless

comes as a boon and a blessing to us. My husband, who is partly an invalid, enjoys the services. When we hear the great preachers of the day telling the old sweet story in a new way we feel much happier for listening. Then, again, We can only go to the theatre onee a year when on holiday, so the short plays on the wireless are eagerly looked forward to. NE of the most gratifying features of listening, When the music comes from the studios, is the omission of clapping and: the terrible demand for encores. Why should people demand encores? It is like asking the shopkeeper for an extra free supply of goods after having supplied what has been bought and paid for. It would improve the concerts if you insisted upon conductors outside the studios disallowing encores entirely. An encore spoils a good turn; a poor turn does not merit one.-H. H. J., Leeds, to "Radio Times." HE erection of radio range-finding stations by the Department of Marineand Sisheries at Resolution Island and Cape Hopes Advance is nearing completion. These are the first of a chain of six stations which will be placed throughout the Behring Strait

in order to render navigation as safe as possible. Placed at different angles of the channel, the stations will keep in constant communication with ships. Navigators will be advised as to the exact position of their vessels and warnings will be given of ice floes. This will be particularly effective during fog. "FLARDLY | a greater proof of the dependability and value of radio broadcasting could be given than the decision to utilise so extensive a network in the development of radio programmes. The adoption of radio broadcasting by an industrial organisaation of the magnitude of this company is ample proof that radio is definitely accepted as an efficient and powerful method of maintaining contact with the public." T has been decided to have another radio and electrical exhibition in the Town Hall, Sydney, next year. The past exhibitions organised by the Radio Broadcast Bureau were so successful that the promoters have engaged all the floor space of the Town Hall, including the vestibule and basement, for the coming exhibition. Already the greater portion of the floor space available has been provisionally booked. For the last exhibition there were no bad debts, with the result that members of the Radio Broadcast Bureau were granted a substantial rebate for the floor space occupied ‘by them at the 1928 exhibition.